FA Cup Quarter-Final Draw: Eight Teams Set for Last-Eight Showdown on April 4-5
The FA Cup quarter-final draw takes place tonight, Monday March 9, at the London Stadium in east London — timed before West Ham United's fifth-round clash against Brentford. Eight clubs are in the hat as English football's most historic knockout competition moves into its final stages ahead of the Wembley final on May 16.
FA Cup Draw: Ball Numbers and Teams Confirmed
The ball numbers for tonight's FA Cup quarter-final draw are as follows: 1. Southampton, 2. Port Vale, 3. Manchester City, 4. Leeds United, 5. Arsenal, 6. Liverpool, 7. Chelsea, 8. West Ham United or Brentford.
The draw is an open draw, meaning any team can face any opponent with no seedings applied. The FA Cup quarter-finals will be played over the weekend of Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 April 2026.
How the Eight Teams Reached the FA Cup Quarter-Final Draw
Chelsea knocked out Wrexham, Manchester City defeated Newcastle United, Liverpool downed Wolves, Port Vale shocked Sunderland, Leeds United defeated Norwich City, and Southampton stunned Fulham to reach the last eight.
Arsenal beat Mansfield Town in their fifth-round tie courtesy of strikes from Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze. The Gunners are chasing an unprecedented quadruple this season, sitting top of the Premier League while also in the last 16 of the Champions League and the League Cup final.
Port Vale, who are bottom of League One amid a difficult season, beat Sunderland 1-0 to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time in 72 years. Southampton also secured an upset as the second-tier side won at Fulham to increase the Football League representation in the draw.
When and How to Watch the FA Cup Quarter-Final Draw
The draw takes place at the London Stadium at approximately 2:05 p.m. ET on Monday March 9, ahead of the West Ham vs Brentford fifth-round tie. It will be broadcast on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate, with a live stream available on Discovery+ and for free on the TNT Sports YouTube channel.
The draw will be presented by Darren Fletcher and Ally McCoist, with former Manchester City and England goalkeeper Joe Hart pulling the balls from the hat.
FA Cup Quarter-Finals and the Road to Wembley
The FA Cup quarter-finals are scheduled for the weekend of Saturday April 4, 2026, followed by the semi-finals on Saturday April 25. The final will be played at Wembley Stadium on Saturday May 16, 2026.
The 2025-26 FA Cup is the 145th edition of the Football Association Challenge Cup, the oldest football tournament in the world. Defending champions Crystal Palace were eliminated in the third round by sixth-tier National League North side Macclesfield in one of the competition's most stunning early upsets.
The winners of the FA Cup final will take home $2.6 million in prize money, while the runners-up receive $1.3 million. The trophy also carries a place in the 2026-27 UEFA Europa League for the victors.
